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Way of the Steadfast Storm
"A blade-any weapon-is only valuable in how it is wielded, by the struggle of the one who wields it." ''-Talinn Ryalor, Ahnai Knight '' The Way of the Steadfast Storm 'is a sword style originating in the land of Fyador. Invented by The Ahnai Order, its name references the remarkable endurance its practitioners show in battle. The style is a fusion of several old fencing styles and practical war experience. Although the vast majority of practitioners are members of the Order who have been trained from birth, certain exceptions have been made in the past for members of the Fyadorian Imperial Family, for members of the Reconnaisance Legion, and other practicioners on a case-by-case basis. It was informally introduced to the Imperium by Falun Ryalor in 1725, but formally introduced by Talinn Ryalor in 1733, who has begun training several apprentices. Current Practitioners '''Ahnai Initiate: '' Gardnaschur K. Eighthen (Form I Learner). Darastaja Reetur (Form I Learner). Tristan O'Connor (Form I Learner). Driskor Lampere (Form I Learner). Ahnai Apprentice: Riven Konig (Form I Master, Form IV Learner) Weylin Ryalor (Form I Master, Form VI Learner). Vaelora Ryalor (Form I Master, Form VI Learner) Imani Ryalor (Form I Master, Form II Learner). Ahnai Knight: ' 'Talinn C. Ryalor (Forms I and III Master, Form VII Learner). Ahnai Master: Alexei Ryalor (Forms I, II, and V Master) Ranks Ahnai Initiate: Prerequisites None. Weapons: Firehardened hickory or oak katana. Scarf: White. Ahnai Apprentice: Prerequisites Mastery of Form I. Weapons: Real single, double-bladed sword, or dual katana*. *One will always have one's second katana be wooden until they have mastered this form, regardless of rank. Scarf: Blue. Ahnai Knight: Prerequisites:Mastery of Form I + Any other form. Weapons: Real single, double, or dual katana. Scarf: Red. Ahnai Master: Prequisites: Mastery of Form I + Two other forms, training an apprentice to the level of knight. Weapons: Real single, double, or dual katana. Scarf Black. You may only begin learning Form IX once you are at this level, not before. Ideally, this should just be used for scary villain characters or by a Minister. Forms and Descriptions 'Form 1: '''The most ancient of all of the of the forms and the one from which all other forms are derived. An Initiate will be taught the basics of attacking, parrying, target body zones, basic paw-to-paw combat, mental fortitude and practice katas(drills). It utilizes wide, sweeping motions, simplistic, raw swordplay, and a continunous, step-by step advance, with a focus on traditionally disarming or disabling one's opponent rather than outright killing, though the latter is certainly possible to achieve using this form. In the hands of an intiate, this form can thus appear somewhat clumsy and imprecise, in the hands of a master, however, it can be as smooth as a torrent of flowing water. ''Strengths: Multiple opponents. Weaknesses: Single skilled opponents, opponents using agile or duelist styles. Weapons: Single katana. 'Form 2: '''The most dueling focused of the forms, Form II was developed to address the shortfalls of Form I in an era where dueling was more common than warfare. It emphasizes precise swordplay with an emphasis on fluid motion, footwork, and a good sense of predicting where an enemy's blade will fall, relying on timing, prediction, accuracy, and skill rather than strength, so that such practicioners look as if they are dancing rather than fighting. It is a style which utilizes many one-paw moves, many of which are quick and unpredictable. It is, however, a form whose defense can be overwhelmed by opponents particularly skilled in strength-based forms, or against multiple opponents. ''Strengths: Single (especially skilled) opponents. '' ''Weaknesses: Multiple opponents, certain forms focusing on unpredictability and brute strength. Weapons: Single katana. 'Form 3: '''The most defensive of all the forms, Form III is noted for its tight moves close to the body, careful dodges and parries, and short sweeps designed to provide maximum defensive coverage. It is an energy-efficient form designed for prolonged battle, so as to outlast or learn enough about one's opponent to outwit them or entrap them. A practicioner of Form III is thus difficult to kill, but oftentimes merely survives rather than attain victory:in order for the latter to occur, a user of this form must learn how to effectively counterattack and maintain a strong, controlled sense of focus and a calm mind in order to do more than just live at the end of the battle-otherwise, an opponent on the offensive but capable of conserving their energy and using precision strikes can overcome them. ''Strengths: ''Excellent at defense against single or multiple opponents. ''Weaknesses: ''Poor offensive capabilities. Weapons: Single katana. '''Form 4: '''The most physically demanding of all of the forms, Form IV is noted for its aggressive, focused, highly mobile style of combat. Practicioners of this form are always on the offensive, utilizing large, fast,unpredictable powerful swings and spins from nearly any angle, utilizing acrobatic tricks such as backflips, cartwheels, jumps, relying on speed and agility over all else. It is a form which can quickly overwhelm either one's opponent or one's self-form IV practicioners are advised to withdraw from combat if they cannot manage to break their opponents defense, for they will find themselves becoming exhausted very quickly. ''Strengths: ''Single opponents, non-defense oriented styles. ''Weaknesses: ''Multiple opponents, enemies skilled in defense, quick tendency to become fatigued. ''Weapons: ''Single katana. '''Form 5: '''Developed in response to address the perceived shortcomings of Form III, by which a practicioner could outlast a skilled opponent but be unlikely to overwhelm them, Form V is a style which emphasizes blocks and parries to maintain a suitable foundation for defense, but is far more aggressive than Form III. Instead of counterattacking only when necessary or when seeing an opening in the enemy's defense, Form V requires a practicioner to immediately counterattack with a strike of their own, channeling the force of their opponent's own blow against them, relying on brute strength, power strikes, and blade combinations to batter and break an opponent's defenses. It is thus an offensive, strength-based style, so characters who are tall and particularly powerful will find the most benefit out of it, though it can be used by beasts of any stature with great effect and proper training. ''Strengths: Strong offensive capabilities while maintaining a decent defense, strength. Weaknesses: Lack of mobility. Weapons: Single-bladed katana. 'Form 6: '''A jack-of-all trades form which utilizes elements from all of the preceding forms, it is a comparatively easily mastered form without any notable strengths, but without any noticeable weaknesses, instead focusing on the basic moves from all of the style and moderation, the style being described as smooth and relaxed. It relies more on a practicioner's creativity and intuition rather than any particular philosophy or skillset, and is usually learned by those who wish to devote more of their time to pursuits other than fighting while still wishing to remain capable in combat. It tends to be only average in dueling or on the battlefield compared to the other forms-but a master of this form with a quick head on their shoulders can still prove to be a challenging opponent to the unwary and should not be dismissed. ''Strengths: None. Weaknesses: None. Weapons: Single-bladed katana. 'Form 7: '''A form derived from form six, Form VII is a form which focuses on the use of dual blades in combat. It is noted for its well-rounded combination of speed and offensive capabilities and versatility, with a sufficiently skilled practicioner capable of engaging both single and multiple opponents while being capable of putting up an effective offense with either both of their blades or with one used for attacking while the other is used for defense. A well-rounded and deadly style, its major weakness is against powerful opponents utilizing strength-based styles or moves, for it is rare for a form VII practicioner to have enough physical strength to block powerful blows with one arm. ''Strengths: Multiple opponents, single opponents. '' ''Weaknesses: Strength-based forms. '' ''Weapons: Dual katana. 'Form 8: '''A form designed to utilize double-edged spears and double-bladed swords, form VIII is a form focused on a rapid rate of assault with a minimum of movement, serving as excellent defensive weapons as the longer length of the weapon allows for easier parrying and deflecting. It is a style which is, however, inherently limited in mobility compared to other forms, as the larger size of the weapon makes many positions infeasible or awkward to execute, and is one which is difficult to master. ''Strengths: Speed, defense. Weaknesses: ''Lack of mobility, training difficulty. Weapons: Double-bladed sword or spear. '''Form 9: '''A very rare form mastered only by the highest ranking Ahnai, it is the most vicious and deadly of all of the combat forms, said to be capable of easily eviscertating masters of any of the preceding forms if they are not on their highest guard. Its movements are described as entirely chaotic and erratic bursts of ferocity, and it does not seem to be tied to any particular moves, utilizing seemingly random combinations of advanced strikes from all of the preceding forms. Masters of this form are exceptionally difficult to kill, and it is advised that one run when confronted with a master of this style unless they are supported by multiple other masters, for that is their only chance at survival. ''Strengths: Terrifyingly effective against single skilled opponents, capable of overwhelming even the most defensive or duelist oriented styles, unpredictable in the extreme. Weaknesses: Multiple, highly skilled opponents. Weapons: Single, dual, and double-bladed. Category:Information